January 26, 2017

Coordinating Outfits | The Problem + The Solution

If a session is like Star Wars, then choosing the perfect outfit is like Darth Vader or Yoda or Luke Skywalker! (Wow. Michael is going to be so proud! I just made a Star Wars reference! Actually….I’m proud!) 😉 Basically, without them the entire mood is gone. No characters, no movie. Poor outfit choice, poor photo session.

Okay, if that didn’t intimidate, weird you out or scare you…..read on.

Among the top questions that I get asked is about choosing the perfect outfits. The problem when faced with the decision of what to wear is that the options are literally endless. A whole imagination full of possibilities and the question of how in the WORLD am I going to decide! Well, you’re in luck! Today there are four simple steps to helping you choose coordinating outfits for your session!

Step One: PICK A STYLE
Don’t go onto step two, three or four. Don’t skip this one or glance over it! It’s crucial!! Without knowing where you want to go, you will have an awful time trying to get there! Somewhere in your mind, you’ve got an idea of what you hope your pictures will turn out like. Oh, you don’t have one? Well stop right here and think through the style of pictures you want. What location do you see yourself? Is it in nature? A wheat field or beside a lake? Are you in a city scape or downtown? Do you want something a bit more fancy and classic. Or do you lean more towards something funky and fresh? I always recommend choosing an adjective that you hope would describe your session. Now you have a goal. Let’s figure out how to get there.

Step Two: PICK A STARTING PLACE
Instead of getting overwhelmed with trying to coordinate all the outfits at once, start small. Choose one piece of clothing that you absolutely adore! Say your style that you picked fell under the adjective “classic.” That’s your aim. You have a high waisted, powdered pink tulle skirt. Perfect! You look great and feel great in it and it fits perfectly inside your adjective! Now you have the base for your outfits!

Step Three: PICK COMPLEMENTARY PIECES
You adore your tulle skirt! So from there, first finish your outfit. You pair it with a soft cream off the shoulder fitted lace shirt that you’ll tuck in. You get a pair of nude pink heels and a big gold necklace. Elegant and soft. Onto the next outfit! Since your adjective was classic, you want your fiance (or husband or kids) outfits to match that style as well. Think of the color scheme. Your outfit has creams, pinks and nudes. What’s a dark color that would compliment it? You chose dark slate gray slacks and either a gray sweater or blazer if you wanna get real fancy! Tip: If your start outfit has a pattern, then try to chose a second outfit with a solid color. Also, I recommend not trying to match the exact colors.

Step Four: PICK ADD ONS
Once you have your outfits—spice them up! Add jewelry or suspenders or a tie! Bring a blanket or have your makeup done with the finishing touch of bright red lipstick. Add accents and “pops” to your pictures! This part of the outfit is almost always my favorite to take pictures of! Add layers or big bow! Anything that will personalize the outfit to fit you and go the extra step to your session being the one friends think of when they think of classy!

And like always friends….if you’re still stuck…..please, please, please ask! I’m happy to help and brainstorm with you! And I LOVE helping make your outfits exactly what you imagined they’d be!